


the day before hogwarts

by allium_writes



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Family Bonding, Family Issues, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:53:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29237130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allium_writes/pseuds/allium_writes
Summary: Albus never wanted to be his father's shadow, but that's all that he seems to be.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Kudos: 28





	the day before hogwarts

**Author's Note:**

> posted onto my tumblr: alliumwrites. short one-shot.

The day before school began was always the worse for Albus. 

In his small family of five, he was the odd one out—the Slytherin Potter. Of course, his family didn't care, but everyone else did. He knew, even in his first year, that he wasn't like James or Lily. He was just Albus Severus Potter—the failure of the family. 

In his first three years of school, everyone around him made sure to mock or taunt Albus. The only person who understood Albus and tried being friends with him was Scorpius. If Albus hadn't met Scorpius, he would've begged his parents to take him out of Hogwarts. Both boys struggled with people's perception of their fathers and not them. Instead of seeing Albus, they saw Harry; instead of seeing Scorpius, they saw Draco or Voldemort. 

Albus was set up for greatness when Scorpius was destined for failure. Albus always thought that it should've been the other way around—he had always thought Scorpius was the better person between the two of them. 

As much as Albus was excited to see Scorpius, he dreaded going back to Hogwarts. 

Albus didn't seem to inherit any of the good qualities his parents had. He wasn't good at magic, especially DADA. He barely passed his classes. Worst of all—he was abysmal at Quidditch. He felt pathetic compared to his family—they were all _Gryffindors._

For years Albus dreamed of being in Gryffindor to live up to the Weasley-Potter standard, but even if he was a Gryffindor, it didn't change the fact that he couldn't do magic. The people around him would call him a squib and go on to compare him to his family. James, Lily, and Scorpius had tried defending Albus, but it was no use.

"Al!" His mum called out. Albus walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. It was all too familiar, his mum and dad sitting at the table while James and Lily were bickering. Albus sat down at the table and sat directly in front of his father. 

Sometimes Albus would imagine what t would be like to be loved by the people around him—not because they were family and felt obligated to love him. 

"Al, are you excited for your fourth year?" His father asked. 

Albus shrugged his shoulders, "I guess." 

"Ahhh, fourth year. What a year that was," James dreamily sighed. 

His mum rolled her eyes, "James, your fourth year was a disaster." 

"Exactly!" James said. 

"He gets that from you," His mum whispered to his father. 

His father put his arms up, "If I remember correctly, you don't have a clean track record either. What was it? That Bat-Bogey Hex?" 

"Mum, can you teach me the Bat-Bogey Hex?" Lily asked. 

His mum nodded, "Of course, but don't use it on your brothers." 

"That's rich coming from you," his father jokingly said. 

His mum rolled her eyes, "Ignore your dad, Lily." 

"Yeah, listen to mum," James said. Lily nodded but had a familiar mischievous spark in her eyes. 

Albus quickly ate his food and glanced up at the clock. If he ate quickly, maybe then he could leave before his parents could ask him more questions.

"Al, you ready? I hope you enjoy your fourth year," his father said. 

Albus lightly scoffed. He knew that his father meant well, but Albus didn't want to talk about school. 

"I'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed my other years," Albus muttered. 

His parents glanced at each other as they watched Albus left the dining table and put his dish into the sink. Albus quickly walked back to his room. 

His dad stood up and walked up the stairs and towards Albus's room. When he knocked, he could hear Albus groaning before he opened the door. 

"Yes?" Albus asked. 

"Can I come in?"

Albus knew that he had to say yes to his father, "Sure." 

Albus moved away from the door and sat down on his bed. 

"What's the matter?" His dad asked. 

Albus shrugged, "What's not the matter?" 

His dad sighed before sitting next to Albus, "I want to help you, but I don't know how to help you." 

Over his few years at Hogwarts, Albus had accumulated resentment towards his father's image. Albus was constantly compared to his perfect father. His father—the hero—was everything that Albus could not be. 

"You don't always have to be a hero and solve everyone's problem, _dad."_

"You're my son. I'll always try to solve your problem," his dad softly said. 

"But my whole problem is you! I can't go around school without being compared to you—my _perfect_ father," Albus spat. 

Albus paused and waited for his father to stop him. When his father didn't speak for a few seconds, Albus continued. 

"My whole life—nothing but a _waste._ I'm not like James or Lily! I'm terrible at spells and Quidditch. I'm not even sure I'm even a Potter!" 

"Al, being a Potter isn't about good marks or Quidditch. It's—" 

"It's about everything that I don't have." 

"Albus, what do you mean?"

"A family! I want nothing more than to feel like I belong. Dad, I just want to belong—I just want to git in with my family," Albus said. 

"You are as much apart of the family as your brother and sister, Albus. Where are you getting these silly ideas from?" 

"Silly? Dad, do you not hear what they tell me? They/re too busy comparing me to you—they're too busy trying to make a hero out of me." 

"Albus, don't listen to them—" 

Albus scoffed at his father, "Don't listen to them? You don't understand how it feels to get judged and hated on. It seems like everyone wants to make fun of me." 

"Albus, before you can cut me off, please listen to me," his father pleaded. Albus stayed quiet and waited for his father to speak. 

"When I was your age, I wasn't particularly liked—" Albus's eyes widened in shock,"—in my first year, the Gryffindors didn't like me because I lost a ton of points. In my second year, everyone thought I was the Heir of Slytherin and let the Basilisk out. In my fourth year, people hated me because they thought that I put my name in the Goblet of Fire. In my fifth year, everyone thought I lied about Voldemort returning. In my seventh year, I was a wanted criminal." 

Albus stared at his father in shock. Every time he heard someone talk about his father, he had always heard people sing his praises. Albus had trouble processing the idea that people hated his father—just like how people didn't like him. 

"Al, I tell you this because I know exactly how you feel. I don't know how to stop the kids from bullying you, but I can tell you that it does get better. It's hard now, but life moves on." 

His father rubbed his back and kissed his forehead, "It does get better, Al. I'll let you get ready for tommorow." 

His father smiled at him before leaving the room and closing the door. Albus was conflicted about what he knew about his father's childhood. After he thought about it, he realized that it was always his classmates that had talked about his father's childhood—his father had never talked about his childhood in great detail. 

For once, Albus saw himself in his father, and if his father could move on with life, maybe he could too.


End file.
